Method for the separation of polarizable bioparticles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the separation of a polarizable bioparticle comprising the steps: a) dielectrophoretic preseparation of a polarizable bioparticle from a suspension of bioparticles; b) fluidic separation of the selected bioparticle by fixing the bioparticle in a dielectrophoretic field cage and circulating fluid around the bioparticle; c) transferring the separated bioparticle from the dielectrophoretic field cage to a culture chamber; d) dielectrophoretic fixing of the separated bioparticle in the culture chamber and study, observation, manipulation and/or culturing of the separated bioparticle. The invention further relates to a microfluidic system and use thereof.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for the separation of a single polarizable bioparticle with a microfluidic system, comprising the following steps:
 a) dielectrophoretic preseparation of the polarizable bioparticle from a suspension of bioparticles; 
 b) fluidic separation of the polarizable bioparticle selected in step a) by trapping the polarizable bioparticle in a dielectrophoretic field cage and circulating fluid around the polarizable bioparticle; 
 c) transfer of the polarizable bioparticle separated in step b) out of the dielectrophoretic field cage into a cultivation chamber; and 
 d) dielectrophoretic trapping of the polarizable bioparticle separated in step b) in the cultivation chamber and study, observation, manipulation and/or cultivation of the polarizable bioparticle, wherein the polarizable bioparticle has a diameter in the range of ≧0.5 μm to ≦5 μm. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein analytes of the polarizable bioparticle separated in step b) are removed from the cultivation chamber for analysis. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the analyte or analytes of the polarizable bioparticle separated in step b) are analyzed by optical and/or non-optical methods. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dielectrophoretic trapping of the polarizable bioparticle separated in step b) in the cultivation chamber occurs in a further dielectrophoretic field cage and/or by means of an electrode arrangement. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, after study, observation and/or manipulation, the polarizable bioparticle separated in step b) is led away alive for propagation in a population.